This invention relates to an alternating-current/direct-current converter, hereinafter briefly called current converter comprising a rectifier circuit, a converter transformer at ther primary side of which a damping network is arranged and control means for monitoring the input voltage.
Known converter configurations use damping networks to damp switching transient which occurs at the converter transformer and eliminate switching losses. As a rule, such damping networks have been formed by a series circuit of a diode and a capacitor, in which arrangement the capacitor is bridged by a resistor used for eliminating the energy loss of the converter transformer.
This known solution has the disadvantage that, although overvoltages are avoided, the energy loss occurring is not recovered. Also, a separate power supply is required for supplying power to auxiliary circuits such as, for example, the control circuit of the converter transformer in the known solution. Another disadvantage of known converters is that the input voltage is not directly monitored by the converter circuit.